2014 Holiday Day 11 - "Spare Day"

So we had nothing planned today. It was going to be a day where we went back to a Disney or Universal park where we felt we may have missed some stuff out, but we all agreed over breakfast we had pretty much done everything we wanted to do (except at the Magic Kingdom, but we will go there tomorrow). So we all list out the things we would want to do where ever they were...

Matthew wanted to go and see the tigers at Animal Kingdom. We hadn't really seen them much and hoped we would be able to see some more of them. Clare wanted to visit another resort - Fort Wilderness - and hire some bikes to ride round the RV and campsite to see the Halloween decorations. I wanted to ride the monorail through EPCOT. I'd seen it whizz round EPCOT, but couldn't ever recall us acutally riding it ourselves. So, with a bit of planning, we had our day mapped out...

We drove to Animal Kingdom first and then headed straight for the Maharajah's Jungle Trek where the tigers were based. The first viewing area yielded no sightings, although Matthew talked to the guide there and found out some interesting information about the tigers and the work they do there to help conserve them. The second viewing area we had better luck. Two sleeping tigers. These were the older pair - they are about 18 years old and sleep for about 16 hours a day so it wasn't too surprising...

A bit further along we saw no tigers, but Matthew got chatting to the guide again (I think as he was wearing his conservation badges, this helped them to know he likes his animals). As he was chatting, one of the younger tigers came out from the undergrowth and proceeded to prowl around her area. She went into the water and continued to prowl sniffing the air and baring her teeth. There was a lady there studying the tigers for her college degree and she reckoned the tiger had smelt food from one of the visitors. Anyway, we got some great viewing of her stalking around and some good pictures too. She is a Sumatran Tiger - there are only about 600 in the world and are on the brink of extinction. Disney are getting a male from another zoo and are hoping they will breed about 3-4 cubs each year to be placed in other zoos to help swell the population.

Matthew was very happy with his visit, so we headed for the car and drove to The Magic Kingdom in order to get to Fort Wilderness Camping ground. Clare had read this was the best way to do it, but even then it was a bit of a trek. We got the land train from the car park to the transportation terminal, the ferry from the there to the Magic Kingdom, then a boat from there to the resort. Fort Wilderness is massive, and we got a bit lost. We were debating whether to give up when we found the bike hire shop was just a short bus ride away. Phew! Bikes hired we enjoyed a pleasant half hour cycling round looking at the Halloween decorations. Some of them are truly bonkers. No photos I'm afraid, as cycling and photography don't mix, but there was on inflatable of a ghost in an outhouse with a pumpkin outside holding it's nose! There were giant spiders, and graveyeards and all sorts!

We stopped for some drinks in the shop before heading back to the boat to the Magic Kingdom where we caught the monorail to the transportation centre and then another monorail to EPCOT. After the bike ride and being out in the warm sun it was nice to sit back, relax and let the monorail do the driving as we toured round the loops. The monorail goes right inside EPCOT so you get a great view of some of the attractions.

It was then time to drop off the car and get a ride from the rental company back to the hotel. We then changed quickly and Matthew went to the main pool whilst Clare and I ate something in the Artist's Palette (a turkey club sandwich and brownie for me and a pepperoni flatbread and cheesecake for Clare). We then went to the Grandstand pool together and caught the last few rays of the Florida afternoon sunshine and we all swam for a bit and dried off in the sun. Matthew had a hotdog and ice cream and then we headed back to shower and change.

Then it was over tot he campfire to make S'mores. These are roasted marshmallows with Hershey's chocolate between two crackers. I thought they would be really sweet, but they weren't. I wasn't actually that fussed by them - a lot of Americans like them. Matthew thought they were OK, and Clare was the same as me - not fussed. Glad we tried them though. The campfire was busy tonight, which was nice to see.

Then it was Jeopardy, Wheel Of Fortune and the last baseball World Series game. Our last full day on holiday. It has been a good one, and we've all enjoyed it.